The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-05

uos ehoe 10 hLSueiOi oudu tHo lUto Vi
truth, or the love of souls, to make the
life productive in largest degree. Love
is the fulfilling of the law of duty every
where, and the love of Christ is the
most potent force to constrain men to
undertake large enterprises and prose-
cute them to success:
lam not INDUCING in mere sentiment.
am not taking you into any unpracti-
cal, mystical region. 1t is the region
where st. Paul, that man of large cul-
ture and excellent sense, whose labors
were so abundant and whose successes
were SO great, dwelt continually. Do
you not hear him say, 81 can do all
things through Christ who strengthen
eth me % And again, sit is the love
of Christ that constraineth us ?" With
him and his fellow apostles, and with
the faithful in all the Christian centu-
ries, there was always operating this
Indictment, and it was the motive power
of marvellous movements and successes.
If there is any one nerve Of Christian
Missions it is found just here,-that
supreme affection for Christ which
binds the heart to him in steadfast
loyalty and makes it certain that the
work of the hands will follow. Only
bring men to understand the Christ
love for them, regarding it as no unnat-
ural or mysterious sentiments pre-de-
termined part of the worlds govern
ment-but natural, simple affection,
just the same as the best human love,
only more tender and true, more in
tense and comprehensive, and they will
And new force acting upon their
hearts, moving them to sanity living
and heroic enterprise. By this spirit
and power of Christ they will be in
spired to labor in the Lords vineyard,
to engage in true missionary service,
and do heartily whatever their hands
| find to do.
Just now we hear good deal about
the nerve of Christian Missions, and
the cutting of that nerve by the accept
ance or rejection of this or that special
| doctrine. Thus it is said that the "New
Departure in orthodoxy will sever the
ligament that binds the church to mis-
sionary activities, and put back the
various enterprises that have been set
on foot to enlighten and save the world.
Universalism, it is said, mutilates the
nerve of missions and retards Christ
ian activities; and anything approach
ing it," according to one prominent ad-
vocate of old-fasbioned orthodoxy, sap
proximates to barrenness in missionary
fields" In the judgment of men such
as DR.. Alden, Prof. Park, Rev. Joseph
Cook, and of majority of the Ameri-
can Board, if we may judge by the re-
cent action at Springfield, to allow the
possibility of repentance and salvation
after death is to put grievous stumb.
ling block in the way Of the work of
Christian Missions. Universalism, or
even 'devitalized, semi Universalist
theology" as Mr.. Cook characterizes
the Andover eschatology, will certainly
destroy the nerve of missions.
If this assumption be true it is evil
dent that the dreaded surgery cannot
long be postponed; indeed l am inclined
to believe it has already taken place,
though some of the ardent supporters
of the old dogmas and methods do not
fully realize the situation. You re-
member the Eastern executioner whose
blade was so. sharp and stroke so dex-
ferrous that the subjects on whom his
skill was exercised did not know what
had happened to them, until, attempt
ing to sneeze, their heads toppled off.
If the nerve of missions consists in an
application of the old time doctrines of
an angry and vindictive God, the fail
ure of Gods moral government, and the
doom Of very large part of the race to
endless sin and woe, and in appeals to
men based principally upon their fears.
submit that it has already been sever
ed, and not all the surgery in the world
can ever unite again the ligaments
which have been cut. am not afraid
of the cutting of the nerve of missions
by emphasizing the everlasting love of
God, the hope and comfort of the Cos
pei, and the sure victories to be won at
the last in the name of our crucifed
and risen Saviour.
The Christianity that is coming to
the front in these closing years of the
nineteenth century is charged with
love, not fear; with hopefulness, not
despair; and under its influence the
work of Christian missions will be pros
ecuted somewhat differently, but with
no diminished vigor. 1t will not be
required, much longer, that mission
aries shall tell the enquiring heather
that their ancestors are languishiDg in
an endless hell; or that they shall call
men to repent by depicting the wrath
of God liable to be visited upon them
to their own eternal perdition. The
time is at hand when real Gospel is
to be proclaimed both at home and
abroad and nObler. diviner motives and